Computing nodes communicate with each other using a variety of different data transmission and reception techniques. For instance, a network of nodes may use Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) in which network nodes separate their transmission from their reception using different frequencies. Accordingly, each node typically uses one frequency to transmit signals and other frequencies to receive signals. The choice of transmit/receive frequency defines that node's transmission configuration (sometimes referred to as a node's gender).
Such FDD communication may occur in a various types of networks including a mobile ad hoc mesh network. Within mobile ad hoc mesh networks, however, two nodes can only hear each other if they are of differing transmission configurations. For example, if one node is transmitting at frequency A and receiving on frequency B, only nodes that are listening on frequency A and transmitting on frequency B would be able to talk to each other. Most of the existing Frequency Division Duplexing networks either pre-plan the transmission configuration of the nodes in the network, or there is a central network manager that commands nodes to switch transmission configuration when needed.
Within mobile ad hoc mesh networks, no central network manager exists. Rather, these mesh networks rely on communications between distributed nodes to maintain the integrity of the network. Switching between different transmission configurations can take time and processing resources, which are often limited in mobile devices. Thus, switching transmission configurations is typically only done when absolutely necessary. Moreover, configuration switches are often disruptive to the other nodes of the network. If, for example, first and second nodes are communicating, and the second node switches to a different configuration in order to talk to a third node, the second node will no longer be able to communicate with the first node, as they are now using the same transmission configuration. Current methods do not allow nodes to change configuration based on the environment they are observing and without being disruptive to the rest of the network.